MUTANTS
by Neil Davies1
Summary: Kirk and the Doctor enter the dalek saucer to see what was so important that the saucer fled the time war. This is episode 6.


MUTANTS

Part 6 of 7

Gun metal grey, plain thick hull plates, dark squares on the floor and a sense of grim functionality. There was nothing attractive or aesthetic about the interior of the saucer thought Kirk as he strode next to the Doctor; just the two of them their shoes clunking on the metallic floors.

Others had wanted to come including Spock but Kirk had forbade it, this was his task and his risk. There was no telling what devilish dangers lurked here. His mind began to conjure all sorts of terrible things. Quickly he reined it in – focus Kirk he told himself.

A low pulsation reached his ears a sort of Vroom Vroom sound he didn't recognise and didn't like. No daleks at least so far, where they all dead. He'd told his crew to beam the dead ones off the enterprise at once. There could be no chance of them reviving to spread more chaos.

Apparently calm even relaxed the Doctor bounced along, seeming to know his way around.

"That voice," said Kirk, "You knew it."

The man with the ears smiled, "I expected it," he admitted, "There had to be a reason why the daleks fled Gallifrey."

"Your home world," Kirk queried and the smile faded, yes once but no longer.

"Destroyed in the time war," was all the Doctor would say adding no more details.

They entered a wide circular chamber, better lit than anywhere else low reddish orange light that glowed from the floor not ceiling. Kirk saw strange machinery, tubes full of bubbling liquid, dark cables snaking across the floor but still no daleks.

"Odd sort of trap," said Jim knowing when he was walking into the lion's den.

Head raised the Doctor called out in a booming baritone, "Come on then let's be having you, I know who and what you are, what you must be."

A new light a burst of bright gold forming a cylinder and within the corona a shape a pulsing form, organic, nebulous, octopoidal yet with a single green eye blinking slowly tendrils, tentacles and feelers probed amniotic fluid.

It was hideous thought Kirk a monstrous embryo of some kind, it could hardly be something that had evolved naturally a mutation perhaps.

"Your majesty," the Doctor's tone was mocking, "Jim Kirk - meet the dalek emperor; looks quite comfy in there doesn't he?"

"What the hell is it," Kirk couldn't hide his disgust?

"A kaled mutant, genetically enhanced by its creator Davros," approaching the cylinder cautiously and examining its many connections the Doctor shook his head.

"You thought you'd escaped me didn't you your highness, well guess what...you didn't."

The booming gurgling voice returned accompanied by a pulsing sword of flashing red lights, _it is you who fled me Doctor running away like the coward you are abandoning your own people._

Eyes very hard the time lord responded, "I fled nothing Gallifrey was on fire, I came after you to put an end to the daleks."

 _Utter folly Doctor it is your life that is about to end._

In they glided, half daleks just the lower skirt section, instead of tops sat other mutants, pilots Kirk realised ugly pulsing boneless things smaller than their monarch but just as ugly, cyclopean freaks.

"Bring on the clowns," voice derisive the Doctor showed no fear no alarm; he didn't even back away from the exposed mutants as they circled the room like an inner retinue.

Not so calm Kirk raised his dalek gun defensively ready to use it at the slightest provocation all too aware how outnumbered they were and how exposed.

"Your crew have been destroyed," he declared, "even now their shells are being beamed out into space."

To which the emperor replied, _I will create others using the biological tissue available on your ship Captain Kirk; you sir will make an excellent dalek._

Shuddering at this grim thought Kirk took aim at the womb-like cylinder, obviously some form of complex life support unit. Maybe the thing inside couldn't leave it so if it were damaged.

"I don't think so," he said bluntly, "I'd rather die."

"Nobody's dying," said the Doctor, "Apart from these ugly blobs," his wave was dismissive, "The last remnants of a failed experiment, the children of Skaro."

 _Not the last Doctor the first of a new generation of daleks who will create a new Skaro greater than before._

Patience exhausted the Doctor grabbed a thick cable and with a cry of, "Oh get off," he tore it free of its moorings. The cylinder went dark; its fluid ceased to bubble; below it all meters fell to zero.

Silence. Stillness. Nothing moved or spoke around Kirk.

Then light returned to the cylinder, its fluid gurgled and spiralled as it drained away down some unseen plug hole leaving onto the monstrous embryo.

The glass of the cylinder rose slowly exposing the embryo to the air and to the horror of both men it slithered, squelched and stepped from its compartment to stand erect before them. Not dying, not suffocating, independent and alive even full of evil vitality.

NEXT EPISODE...HEROES


End file.
